Railway roadbed scarifying apparatus



R. KERSHAW RAILWAY ROADBED SCARIFYING APPARATUS Aug. 5, 1958 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9, 1955 INVENTORQI ROYCE KERSHAW M 6m mum 58R. KERSHAW 2,846,206

RAILWAY ROADBED SCARIFYING APPARATUS 'Filed Dec. 9, 1955 Y 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR; Rovcs KEILsHAW M AfTTOIQLNEyS operationrequiring considerable time.

United States Patent i RAILWAY ROADBED SCARIFYING APPARATUS RoyceKershaw, Montgomery, Ala., assignor to Kershaw Manufacturing Company,Incorporated, a corporation of Alabama Application December 9, 1955,Serial No. 552,177

4 Claims. (Cl. 262-8) This invention relates to apparatus for scarifyingor loosening the roadbed of a railroad track, particularly when removingand replacing cross ties and has for an object the provision ofapparatus of the character designated which shall be simple of design,economical of manufacture and reliable in operation.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide scarifyingapparatus which shall include tools for loosening the roadbed whichreciprocate between the cross ties and which may be raised clear of thetrack and the apparatus advanced under its own power from location tolocation and the tools lowered to working position as the work proceeds.v

A further object of my invention is the provision of self propelledrailway roadbed scarifying apparatus including tools which are adaptedto reciprocate between cross ties and which shall include improved meansfor raising and lowering the tools and for controlling movement of theapparatus along the railway track.

As is well known in the art to which my invention relates the earth andballast underneath railway cross ties becomes packed down hard due tothe impact of passing loads, and to tamping of the earth and ballastunder the ties when leveling and lining up the track. Also, as crossties become worn the rails sink down into the ties and tamping theballast under the ties to level the track creates a hard compact ridgeunder each tie which must be removed and before a new cross tie can beput in place. To remove this ridge and loosen the road bed with manuallabor is a laborious, expensive It is accordingly the prime object of myinvention to provide apparatus which shall be effective to loosen arailway road bed efficiently and in a minimum of time.

Briefly my invention embodies a railway vehicle and pivotally mounted onone end of the vehicle and extending forwardly to overhang the oppositeend is a frame which includes transverse guide members in its forwardoverhanging end. Mounted in the guide members to reciprocate from themiddle of track outwardly and from the outside of the rails outwardlyare scarifying tools which are adapted to enter and loosen the roadbedas they are reciprocated. A prime mover is mount ed on the vehicle andis employed to develop hydraulic pressure which is employed, throughsuitable hydraulic devices, to propel the vehicle, raise and lower theframe with its scarifying tools, and to reciprocate the tools.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation showing the railway rails in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 2;

Patented Aug. 5, 1958 Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken along theline VV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5;and,

Fig. 7 is a piping diagram of the hydraulic system.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention andparticularly to Figs. 1 and 2 I show a vehicle frame 10 havingsupporting pairs of wheels 11 and 12 which are adapted to run on rails13 supported in the usual way by cross ties 14. Mounted on the vehicleframe 10 is an internal combustion engine 16 which includes means fordeveloping hydraulic pressure (not shown) such units being well known inthe art and requiring no detailed description. At 17 is shown areservoir for the hydraulic fluid which is employed to operate thevarious hydraulic devices hereinafter described.

Pivotally mounted at 18 to the rear of the vehicle frame 10 is a secondframe embodying longitudinal members 19 and 21 which extend forwardlyover the main frame and overhang the forward end thereof as shown inFig. 1. Mounted on the forward end of each of the frame members 19 and21 are depending members 22 and 23 which hang down in front of thevehicle frame 10. Extending transversely of the vehicle frame 10 andsupported by the depending members 22 and 23 is a tool carriage frameembodying guideways 20 formed, as shown, by structural members indicatedgenerally by the numerals 24 and 26. Mounted to reciprocate in theguideways 20 are tool carrying members 27 and 28. Each of the toolcarrying members 27 and 28 is comprised of longitudinal channels 29 and31 joined at top and bottom by plates 32 and 33. Each of the members isprovided with a pair of axles 34 on which are mounted rollers 36 whichare adapted to travel in the guideways 20. Mounted on the underside ofeach of the tool carrying members and extending downwardly therefrom aretool holders 37 and 38. The tool holder 37, as shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawing, is so disposed, when the tool carrying member is at its inwardposition, to extend downwardly into the roadbed just outside the railswhile the tool holder 38, when the tool carrying member is at its innerposition, extends downwardly into the roadbed adjacent the center of theroadbed. It will thus be seen that if the tool carrying member 27 or 28be forced outwardly, from the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,the roadbed will be loosened, or scarified, from the center outwardly tothe rail. Removable bits 39 and 41 are attached to the tool holders 37and 38 as shown in the drawing.

Mounted on the guideway members 24 and 26, centrally thereof is abracket 42 to which are pivotally connected two hydraulic cylinders 43and 44 which extend outwardly therefrom toward the sides of the track.Mounted on the upper plate 32 of each of the tool carrying members 27and 28 is a bracket 46. The pistons 47 and 48 of the hydraulic cylinders43 and 44 respectively are connected to the brackets 46. Fluid foroperating the pistons is intro duced selectively into the ends ofcylinders as shown at 49 and 51 in Fig. 3 of the drawing. It will thusbe seen that as fluid is admitted alternately to the opposite ends ofthe cylinders 43 and 44, the tool carrying-members will be reciprocatedand the scarifying tools 39 and 41 will be moved back and forth throughthe roadbed, indicated at 52 in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Mounted on theguide way members 24 and 26 and extending upwardly therefrom arevertical members 53 and 54 which are braced by diagonal members 56 and57, whach latter are joined at their upper ends respectively to thevertical members 53 and 54 and which are joined at their lower ends tothe forward side of theguideway member 20. Mounted on the upper ends ofthe vertical members 53 and 54 are brackets 58 and '59 to which areconnected hydraulic cylinders59a and 61. See Fig. 7. Mounted on thevehicle frame 10 underneath each of the hydraulic cylinders 59a and 61is abracket 62, only one of which being shown in the drawing. The piston63 of each of the cylinders 59a and 61 is connected to-the bracket 62whereby when hydraulic fluid under pressure is admitted to the upperends of the cylinders, the frame members 19 and 21 together with theguideways, tool carrying members 27 and 28 and tools, are raised clearof the roadbed and ties. When fluid is admitted to the lower ends of thecylinders the frame members 19 and 21 are lowered to gether with thetool carrying members 27 and 28 forcing the tools 39 and 41 down intothe roadbed.

In order to counteract the lateral forces created by the hydrauliccylinders 43 and 44 in the operation of the scarifying tools, I providearms 66 and 67 which are pivotally mounted on the front guideway members20 by means of a clevis 68 and pin 69. See Figs. and 6. The arms extendforwardly and rest on the rails when the machine is in operation, ashownin Figs. 5 and 6 and are provided with downwardly extending portions 70and. 71 which bear against the inside of the rail. The arms 66 and 67thus serve to hold the vehicle on the track when the apparatus is inoperation.

The hydraulic system employed in the operation of my improved apparatusis best illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 7 of the drawing. The primemover 16 Withdrawshydraulic fluid from the supply tank 17 by means of ahydraulic pump 72 from whence it passes through a conduit 73 tooperating valves 74, 76, 77 and 78. The valves 74 and 76 may be operatedby foot pedals 79 and 81 and the valves 77 and 78 by hand levers 82 and83. See Fig. 2. The valve 74 controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to ahydraulic motor 84 which drives a shaft 86 having a sprocket 87 mountedthereon which latter drives a gear reducing unit 88 and sprocket 89. Thelatter through a .sprocket chain 91 and sprocket 92, mounted on the axle93 of the wheel 12, is employed to move the apparatus from one locationto another.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved apparatus'will' be readily understood. Assuming-aasection of railway track inwhich a number of cross ties have failed and are to be removed, therails are jacked up adjacent the tie to be removed and it is detachedvand pulled out from under the rails. The vehicle then moves to place thescarifying tool holders 27 and 28 over the location where the tie hasbeen removed. The tools 39 and 41 are then lowered by means of thehydraulic cylinders 59a and 61 until they are engaged with the roadbed52 as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The tools are thenreciprocated by means of the hydraulic cylinders 43 and 44. It requiresonly a few reciprocations of the tools to loosen the roadbedsufficiently for a new crosstie to be put in place. The tools are thenraised by means of the cylinders 59a and 61 out of the way, and theapparatus is moved to a new location. During the reciprocation of thescarifying tools, the apparatus is held against lateral movementsrelative to the track by means of the counteracting holding elements 70and 71.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised improvedapparatus for scarifying the roadbed of a railway track which isparticularly useful when removing and replacing cross ties.

While I have show' my invention in but one form, it

will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited,but is susceptible of various changes and modifications. withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof, and I-desire, therefore, that onlysuch limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forthin-the append'edclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for, scarifying a railway roadbed, a vehicle adapted torun on the rails, a frame pivotally mounted on one end of the vehicleand extending over the vehicle with a portion thereof overhanging theopposite end of said vehicle, guideways mounted on the overhangingportion and extending transversely of the roadbed, a pair of carryingmembers mounted in the guideways to reciprocate outwardly and inwardlyfrom the center of the roadbed, first and second scarifying toolsmounted on each carrying member in position to extend downwardly inengagement with the roadbed, said first scarifying tool being mounted atthe inner end of each carrying member and adapted when the carryingmember is at its inner position to engage the roadbed adjacent thecenter thereof, and said second scarifying tool being adapted to engagethe roadbed adjacent the outer side of the rail when the carrying memberis at its inner position, power means to reciprocate the tools, andother power means to raise and lower the frame and the tools thereonrelative to the roadbed.

2. In apparatus for scarifying a railway roadbed when cross ties arebeing removed and replaced, a vehicle frame having supporting wheelsadapted to run on the rails, a power unit mounted on the vehicle frameincluding a prime mover and means driven by the prime mover to develophydraulic pressure, a second frame pivoted to the rear of the vehicleand including longitudinal members extending forwardly over andoverhanging the front of the vehicle frame, a tool carriage framemounted on overhanging ends of the longitudinal members and extendingtransversely in front of the vehicle frame, a pair of tool carryingmembers mounted in the tool carriage frame to reciprocate outwardly andinwardly from the center of the roadbed, a pair of scarifying toolsmounted on each tool carrying member and being disposed to extenddownwardly below the rails into the roadbed, one of said pair engagingthe roadbed from the center thereof outwardly to the adjacent rail andthe other of said pair engaging the roadbed from the outer side of therail to the outer ends of the cross ties, hydraulic cylindersoperatively interposed between the tool carriage frame and the. toolcarrying members to reciprocate the scarifying tools, other hydrauliccylinders cooperating between the forward end of the vehicle frame andthe second frame to raise the tool carriage frame with its tools clearof the roadbed, and snubbing members pivotally mounted on the front ofthe tool carriage frame.

3. In apparatus for scarifying a railway roadbed between existing crossties on which roadbed previously supported cross ties have been removed,a vehicle adapted to run on the rails, a frame pivotally mounted on thevehicle and having a portion thereof overhanging an end of said vehicle,a tool carriage frame mounted on the overhanging portion and extendingtransversely of the roadbed, a pair of tool carrying members mounted inthe tool carriage frame to reciprocate outwardly andinwardly from aposition intermediate the rails, scarifying tools mounted on each ofsaid tool carrying members and adapted to engage the roadbed between therails and from the outer sides of the rails to the outer ends of thecross ties, power means to reciprocate the scarifying tools, and otherpower means to raise the scarifying tools from engagement with theroadbed.

4. In apparatus for scarifying a railway roadbed between existing crossties on which roadbed previously supported cross ties have been removed,a vehicle adapted to run on the rails, a frame pivotally mounted on thevehicle and having a portion thereof overhanging an end of said vehicle,a tool carriage frame mounted on the overhanging portion and extendingtransversely of the roadbed, a pair of tool carrying members extendingtransversely of said roadbed and mounted in the tool carriage frame toreciprocate outwardly and inwardly from a position intermediate therails, scarifying tools mounted on each of said tool carrying membersand adapted to engage the roadbed between existing cross ties, thescarifying tools on each of said tool carrying members engagingtheroadbed from said intermediate position outwardly to the adjacentrail and from the outside of the rail to the outer ends of the crossties, power means to reciprocate the tool carrying members andscarifying tools thereon, and other power means to raise said toolcarrying frame with its tools thereon from engagement with the roadbed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Herret a1. July 26, 1898 Jackson Mar. 17, 1925 Overmier June 15, 1926 VaughnJune 10, 1930 Robb July 15, 1930 M'cWilliams et a1 Dec. 24, 1935

